


favorite

by r0wlets



Category: Tales of Rebirth, Tales of Series
Genre: F/F, talesfemslashweek2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-27 13:08:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20408266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/r0wlets/pseuds/r0wlets
Summary: Popura's peach pie really brings out more than just the taste in people. Oneshot.





	favorite

_favorite_

“Open wiiiide.”

Agarte tilted her head quizzically as Claire held up the slice of peach pie to her face. After help saving the world and working towards making Huma/Gajuma relations more tolerable, it had taken forever for the royal monarch to get even a sliver of free time. Now that she had a couple of days to rest, she had the opportunity to try one of Popura’s highly famed peach pies , but…

Claire was inches from her face, smiling. Agarte’s pale complexion took on a rosy hue. Being the heir to the country, she was accustomed to courting rituals all her life, but courting had never previously taken on something of a more…intimate nature. This was considered to be a new age, and she was even the one who had invited Claire out for a picnic in the mountains of Sulz, but she didn’t expect it to be just the two of them, either. All she could do was stare at the dessert and hold up a hand, chuckling softly. “Oh. No, thank you.”

“You know you want toooo.”

She wasn’t wrong. Now that she had finally gotten out of her comfort zone some, Agarte wanted to test her limits by trying new things. From what she had heard from the others, peach pie _was _a recurring theme in their travels, and it was one of Veigue’s and Claire’s favorite dishes. It was…at this point she likened the peach pie to that of almost a national symbol, funny as that sounded. And she felt almost as if she didn’t deserve to try it. After all, she had helped in saving the world, but she had also been a big part of the problem in the first place.

Agarte’s ears twitched, a sign she was thinking too much over this again. Claire was kind and innocent upon first glance, but her intelligence and courage also gave way to a mischievous streak. She wasn’t the type to give in just because she was asked. Gulping, Agarte instinctively shut her eyes and gave in, leaning forward and taking a small bite. Her ears twitched again, this time in pleasure. “It’s…sweet.”

“Isn’t it?”

“Ah! But not…overly sweet. Please give Miss Popura my regards that her peach pie lives up to their expectations.”

“You’ll have to tell herself whenever we go visit her. I think Auntie Popura would faint if she were complimented by the queen herself!”

“Oh, no. I don’t wish her any ill harm…”

Claire placed a hand over her mouth and began to laugh. Agarte cocked her head, tightly grabbing the folds of her chest. A brief feeling of anxiety welled up inside her before it subsided; she knew Claire wasn’t laughing _at _her, just at how serious she was over such small matters. Zilva had drilled into her the decorum befitting of a royal monarch, perhaps dangerously so. While she knew that in the end her teacher had manipulated her, she couldn’t help but pity Zilva in the slightest. To be so desperate as to try and purge the world of “lesser races”….it had seemed unfathomable, yet there were still people, Huma and Gajuma alike, who still shared her views.

Her fingers loosened as Claire’s warm hands covered her own. They were so soft. “Your Majesty, is there something troubling you?”

Agarte pursed her lips, then shook her head. “I’m so naïve, is all. I feel as if I’m the same as I was several months ago.”

“Change isn’t instant, Agarte. You have to work hard at it. You _have _been working hard at it.”

“Thank you, Claire.”

“Here.” Claire lifted the piece of peach pie under her nostrils. “Have another bite.”

“Oh, no. I couldn’t indulge any further…”

“Ahhh….”

This time Agarte was quicker to accept, longing for another bite of the sweet dessert. She chewed thoughtfully, imagining the assortment of emotions that the old woman put into these pies. She hadn’t changed enough yet to feel it for herself, yet she’d like to imagine that they made a lot of people happy.

When she was finished this time, her green eyes widened twice their size as Claire quickly kissed her on the nose, then reached a hand out to her. “After a snack should come a nice walk.”

Speechless, Agarte agreed, allowing Claire to pull her up and walk along the riverbanks of the countryside. The area of Sulz was far from Balka, so even when she did have free time, it was near impossible to usually justify a trip within that distance. Growing up, she had likewise not ventured far from the capital, so seeing the raw beauty of Karegia as a whole made her chest feel warm, as if Sulz had been her home all along. Ironic, as it was a mountain village, yet it was so different from the hustle and bustle of Balka.

The village itself was still a reasonable walk from where they were, so she followed Claire through the meadows, breathing in the clean mountain air, curiously watching Zapie zoom back and forth between the two of them. He was a very affectionate mufmuf. Agarte flinched but quickly settled as he ran around and then laid on her shoulders. Before she could think it through, she uttered, “Does…Does he do this often?”

She sensed Claire was thrown off-guard as she looked at her in confusion at first, then smiled. “He mostly does it for people he likes. So me and you and Veigue, and Mom and Dad…hmmm, actually he does it for most people except Tytree.”

“Eh? Not Tytree?”

“Well…he sees Tytree and Mao argue a lot and gets involved with teasing him…”

Agarte stifled a giggle, looking down at the ground. Even the grass seemed greener here. Claire made no effort of hiding her feelings, laughing at the thought of this furry orange creature aiding in the aggravation of her friend. When she stopped to double over, clutching her stomach, it was only then that Agarte still realized that she was still holding Claire’s hand. It was so much smaller and softer, yet they held the firmness and determination of a strong woman. Compared to her own large hands, which were so soft yet tainted with the destruction of so many people’s lives, she wondered if Claire’s hands would feel the same if they were still her own.

No. Claire was Claire, and she was Agarte.

Carefully, she gently squeezed Claire’s hand as they walked down to an area where the water lapped against their bare feet. She would’ve stopped immediately had Claire said anything, but the girl made no motion to acknowledge it, as if their touch had always been natural. Claire was smart; she knew that Agarte had a hard time displaying her affections and was still tense over letting loose. One day, though, she’d like to be as strong as Claire was, for both her kingdom and herself. She would work hard.

_splash!_

Water dripped against her very white, very expensive dress. Claire lost the playful look in her eyes, gasping. “Agarte, I’m so sorry! Here, we could go home and I’ll give you a change of clothes if there are any stains on your dress.”

“Ufufu, no, it’s fine. Ha..hahaha…”

Why was this out of everything the laugh she couldn’t contain? Her cheeks stretched as she smiled, laughing, unintentionally squeezing Claire’s hand harder this time. What good could she do for everybody if she always felt this happy! For a second Claire stood still in shock; then she joined in, laughing louder as she pulled the taller girl into a hug, spinning her around. Agarte’s eyes lit up, softening, never wanting this to end. The water felt refreshing against her feet, and Claire’s scent smelled so nice.

And when the blond kissed her on the forehead, she wished that their breaths always smelled as good as peach pie.


End file.
